Legend for Legends
by TalkingSalad12
Summary: Even those in legends, had legends they themselves felt inspired by
1. Chapter 1

I own nothing

A Story for Kings

 _"Listen carefully, my son for this is an ancient story. Long ago, before our kingdom, before the gods themselves, there was an age of… an age of Fairy tales."_

 **"Listen carefully, my child. This is a story that most have forgotten. Long before this world there was another. It was a time known as the age of Fairy tales."**

* * *

 _ **Instead of the gods guiding humanity, there was a light. A great sacred light from an unforeseen land known as Kingdom Hearts. At the time, there was no darkness. This great source of light was guarded by the first and most powerful of great weapons; The keyblade.**_

 _ **The weapon that draws upon the strength of one's heart a weapon that chooses it's wielder. Whoever wielded this weapon, could use magic, heal wounds, they could open any lock and unseal any barrier, gather hearts, even destroy worlds.**_

 _ **During this age, many had the keyblade, and they used it in service of the light, with five leaders to lead five unions. However even the greatest of ages do not last forever. Among the five leaders was a traitor… this betrayal lead to war between all five unions. What began in armies ended with only one survivor. And the world itself was shattered…**_

 _ **However not all the wielders fought. They foresaw the worlds end and stayed out of the war for one purpose. To take the pieces of the world and use their power to rebuild. And from that moment forward, they vowed to use the power for the keyblade to protect this new world. To make-up for the damage their friends and predecessors had wrought.**_

 _ **I tell you this story, my child so that you may understand what it is you risk when it is your time to rule.**_

 _"Father?"_

 **"Merlin?"**

 _ **"Do you think I could wield the keyblade?"**_

* * *

 _"You are the next king of Uruk. Of course, you are worthy," the king said as he looked over their kingdom, "But don't expect to find it. I searched for that weapon myself, not even the gods know how to obtain such a weapon."_

 _The young child smiled, "I'll find it one day, then I'll be the best king ever."_

* * *

 **The cloaked man was silent for a minute.**

 **"Merlin?" The young girl asked.**

 **"Arthur, you are noble and honorable, you are the hope of this kingdom, but like caliburn the keyblade chooses its wielder, but it won't decide if you're worthy because you are of noble blood. You must have a strong heart. However, you needn't have the keyblade, caliburn will be yours to draw one day. That will be enough for you to be king, do you understand?"**

 **"Yes Merlin."**

* * *

 _The young boy looked out his window that night to gaze at the moon, thinking of the story his great father told him. Of the weapon of great power that could destroy the world. He wanted to see it, he wanted to find it, he wanted to have it._

* * *

 **The girl dressed as a boy looked at the sword in the stone, recalling the story her teacher told her. Of the weapon used to guard the world. She wasn't going to forsake caliburn. If the vision Merlin showed her was correct, she didn't need the keyblade for what she was raised to do.**

 **But still…**

* * *

 _ **"The keyblade, I would like to see it."**_

 **Author's Note**

 **Something I thought of. I don't know if I'm going to continue this, but I couldn't help but think that maybe, during the age of gods the keyblade legend was like a bedtime story for Gilgamesh and one of the reason's he gathered his treasures was to find it.**


	2. Chapter 2

They are Back

The stars in the night sky sparkled like jewels against velvet. Thousands of small humble lanterns shining on the Mysterious Tower. Sitting at his desk, eyes closed in peace, was the great wizard and retired keyblade master, Yen Sid. It was a genuine peace he could finally feel after over a decade. Thanks to their efforts, Sora and his friends had defeated Xehanort. And the keyblade war diverted.

While many could only appreciate the stars beauty, Yen Sid, could listen to them. They knew all and saw all. They no longer spoke of the threat of heartless and nobodies, so Yen Sid could relax… Until they whispered another threat.

 _The Holy Grail War has begun anew._

Yen Sid's eyes shot open. The Holy Grail War? He rose from his desk and went to the window to gaze into the night sky. The sight of the stars always calmed him. Why did that cursed ritual have to start now?

Regardless, Yen Sid knew he had to call the others. One of the duties of a keyblade master, was to prevent the Holy Grail War.

This accursed ritual began with mages. Not like him, root seekers. Those who believed magic was a gift. So much so, they believed they were chosen people, that magic was theirs alone and had to be hidden and passed down selectively. They would even adopt out their own children and kill outsiders who accidently saw their magic. When Yen Sid first heard of them, he was mortified… and ashamed to call himself a mage. But since keyblade wielder could not interfere with the affairs of other worlds he could not stop it. It didn't keep him from despising their traditions though.

However, these mages needed to be kept watch. They sought the root of creation, the keyblade wielders had another name for it; Kingdom Hearts. They sought power far to great to be controlled and if it were reached, all the worlds would suffer, yet these mages continued to reach it, despite the keyblade wielders warnings. Still, the magic on their world wasn't what it used to be, so odds where they weren't going to reach Kingdom Hearts, ever.

Then, the mages created a way to reach the root, the Holy Grail War. They summoned the spirits of dead heroes, who achieved feats so great, their legends spanned several worlds, some of them were even from other worlds. They were summoned as servants, familiars forced to fight each other over a relic that would grant wishes. There was one final important detail, the holy grail didn't appear on the same world, it would choose a world an hold the war there. So, the chosen participants would travel to the world chosen to fight. They didn't even need to do anything; the grail could bring them to the new world if they chose to participate.

People were being brought back to life, to murder each other. And in every war, more than just the participants were casualties. The only person who could do something more cruel, was Xehanort.

When the keyblade wielders learned of this, they declared that this ritual, was wrong, inhumane, and by holding this death tournament on other worlds was against the world order. So, the keyblade wielders were sent to put an end to the war. If at least one of servants were to be killed by a keyblade, the holy grail would not materialize… easier said than done. And Yen Sid should know, he helped prevent one years ago. And was at death's door more than once.

It didn't help that the mages had a great… dislike for the keyblade wielders. Calling them 'greedy' and 'keeping the root for themselves.' And it certainly didn't help that every heroic spirit brought into the war knew about the keyblade. Apparently by their era the keyblade was still remembered as an old legend. Some wanted it for themselves, others just wanted to challenge a wielder. Needless to say, every single heroic spirit they went up against, didn't hold back for a second.

Yen Sid wasn't thrilled he had to call the others to his aid. He certainly wasn't happy he had to throw them into battle with warriors that could actually rival a fully trained keyblade master. But lives were on the line, the balance was in jeopardy, and the keyblade wielders absence for over a past decade didn't make it better. But, the keyblade wielders were back! It was time to remind these people that having magic didn't make them gods… And the keyblade wielders were back, and ready to stop them.

 **I have decided to continue this story. But my dear readers you deserve to know the truth, and the truth is: I won't update for a while, sorry. It's not my fault, it's theirs, EMIYA, Cu Chulainn, and Iskander. They are too awesome, and I want them to be in my fic, but I still need to figure out how to make it work (Curse you Type-Moon for creating so many awesome characters). And let us not, dear friends, forget our dear friends, Merlin and Hercules. Disney versions. I already have a plan for Merlin, he trained Saber when he was young, but he did age. And I like Disney Hercules too much to turn him into a berserker.**

 **I must find a way to bring the great characters we love into something new, to create drama (Delicious, juicy drama). But one thing is for certain, the chosen world is Radiant Garden. It's where Merlin lives these days and the place a certain Saber will be paying a visit (Juicy drama, my darlings).**

 **Of course all our favorite keyblade wielders are coming into this.**

 **I don't normally do this, because it would just create spoilers, but I am greatly stuck. So I am open to suggestions, but remember I can't use all your suggestions, sorry.**


	3. Chapter 3

It Has to be Stopped

The sky was purple. That was the first thing she noticed about this strange new world. A lot of this world was so different from hers, from Fuyuki. The tallest building was the castle in the center. Fountains decorated the walls of the castle town, and you couldn't go a block without finding a new bed of flowers. It was pretty nice actually; this place was worthy of its name, Radiant Garden. She hoped the war to come, wouldn't harm the people here too badly.

 _If you're done sightseeing, we need to locate a library,_ his nagging voice cut through her thoughts.

She rolled her blue eyes, "I know all that, but we need to see the town itself as well. It is our battle ground."

Wearing red, she walked down the street, looking for the best way to win.

* * *

Assembled in the study, standing in front of Yen Sid's desk were the five keyblade masters: Aqua, Terra, Mickey, Riku, and Sora. None of them knew why they were summoned that day. They were just told it was urgent.

"Master Yen Sid," Mickey began, he was the one to teach him how to use a keyblade, "Why have you called us all here?"

Sora of course wanted to know too. He was hoping Xehanort wasn't back again, the third time should have been the charm.

"The stars have revealed a disturbing development," Yen Sid began, "They tell me the Holy Grail War has begun anew."

"What?" Mickey cried in alarm, "But it's too soon."

Terra and Aqua also looked alarmed.

"I thought you said the last one was ten years ago?" Aqua looked at Terra.

"It was," Terra confirmed.

Sora and Riku looked at each other confused. They didn't understand why their fellow masters were riled up.

"What are you guys talking about?" Riku asked. Then everyone turned to the youngest masters remembering that they were there and had no idea what was going on. Everyone settled down, so Yen Sid could begin the explanation.

"The Holy Grail War. It began nearly two hundred years ago," the old master said, "Three magus households came together to summon the holy grail. An omnipotent wish granting device."

"Cool," Sora said.

"Not really, Sora," Aqua said.

"At first the three families intended to share the relic, but the grail would only grant one wish," Yen Sid clarified.

"I take it sharing was out of the question, then?" Riku assumed.

Yen Sid nodded, "The three families fought, and the Holy Grail War began."

"What does that have to do with us?" Sora asked, "Getting involved with the affairs of other worlds is against rules."

"That is correct," Yen Sid said, "But the holy grail war also violates the world order."

"How?" Riku asked.

"You see fella's" Mickey jumped in, "The mages who are part of this ritual are… they're not like Master Yen Sid, or Merlin, or the three good fairies. They see magic as something sacred, and because they can use it others can't it makes them entitled to do things."

Sora frowned, Riku scowled, "Like Maleficent?"

"I wouldn't say they're that bad, but, they do have rules we don't agree with. One of them is if a non-mage witnesses them using magic, they have to be eliminated. And another, the family magic can be passed down to one child. If they have other children, the magic is either kept secret from them or they get adopted out."

"That's horrible," Sora immediately said. Riku nodded.

"It's their laws," Yen Sid reminded. Sora crossed his arms. He knew the rules, it didn't mean he liked them.

"That still doesn't explain why we're here," Riku said.

"Most of the mages have goal," Terra said, "They want to reach the swirl of the root."

"Huh?" Sora said.

"That's their name for Kingdom Hearts," Aqua explained.

"They want to reach Kingdom Hearts?" Riku asked in shock.

"Yes," Yen Sid said, "That is the goal for most mage families. It was reason they came together, but they have forgotten that was the wish they shared. And the Holy Grail War began. Thus, once every sixty years, seven mages are chosen, as masters, to summon seven servants."

"Servants?" Riku asked.

"Great figures of legends, they are also called heroic spirits," Yen Sid said, "They are summoned from the grave, to fight each other, to the death for the grail."

"So, they summon legendary fighters, to kill each other," Riku went straight to the point, "Cheery."

"Technically," Aqua interjected, "They just need to kill the other servants to win, killing masters is optional."

"Why would the heroic spirits agree to that, weren't they heroes?" Sora asked.

"Sora," Terra began, "The grail's definition of 'hero' isn't a person who does good deeds for good reasons. It's a person who has achieved tremendous deeds, good or bad."

"So basically, they can just as easily summon a villain?" Riku asked, "Yeah, I'm not really getting a good impression here. What makes them think their servants will listen?"

"With command seals," Yen Sid said.

"What's that?" Sora asked.

"Every master is granted three command seals, they take the form of three inscriptions on the back of a master's hand. With these, they can control their servants up to three times, they can keep their servants from killing their masters, or even force the servants to commit suicide."

That made the room deadly quiet. Sora pondered, being brought back to life, just to be forced to fight in a death tournament, with your freedom stripped from you? "How awful."

"It's not entirely slavery," Aqua said, "The servants that are summoned, they want the grail too. A winning master and servant both get a wish."

"It still seems wrong," Sora said.

"How does this threaten the world order?" Riku wanted a reason to stop this.

"Originally this took place the mages home world, but the grail doesn't just appear there. It picks other worlds to appear in. And if a master agrees to the war, they are sent to that world to fight. And every time this ritual happens, more than just the masters and servants are casualties," Yen Sid grimly explained.

"They don't keep this fight to themselves?" Riku asked angrily.

"Servants require magical energy, and although they get plenty from their masters, sometimes the master will give them more… by killing bystanders and feeding them their souls."

"You can't be serious," Sora said out loud in disgust.

"Mickey just said they think they're entitled to it because they use magic," Riku said through grit teeth.

"Wait?" Sora suddenly remembered, "You said it happens once every sixty years. Aqua said the last on was ten years ago."

"It was," Mickey said solemnly, "Because it endangers people in other worlds, our job is to stop it, but…" Aqua held her arm as she closed her eyes as if in pain, and Terra hung his head in shame. Mickey continued, "Ten Years ago, I was the only keyblade wielder, and a single wielder can't stop a war. That one took place on their home world. That was rare, but, the damage…"

Yen Sid waved his and smoke swirled on his desk creating a hellish sight. Black lave ran over the ground. Leaving only fire and destruction in its wake. Buildings were destroyed. The sound of peoples screams and cried could be seen. Everyone looked at the scene with horror. The three older masters were a mixture of horror and shame.

"This… was the end result of the previous war," Yen Sid revealed.

"You mean someone seriously wished for that?" Riku asked.

Aqua looked away, almost in tears.

Terra's hands clutched into fists, "We should have been there. This is my fault."

"No," Aqua said, "It was Xehanort."

"Crying about it, isn't going to make it better now," Sora said turning back to Yen Sid, "Master, how do we stop this war?"

"There is only one way," Yen Sid, "If one of the servants is slain by a keyblade. The power will reverberate throughout the Grail War's system. The other servants will vanish along with the command seals."

"That's it?" Riku looked at Mickey, "I'm pretty sure you could have taken at least one of them down on your own."

"I was still technically in training," Mickey explained, "And besides, there's a reason we need more than one to stop this war…"

* * *

Sitting at a desk, she flipped the page reading the archives of Radiant Garden. Apparently, up until a couple years prior, the people were banished from their home world by the heartless. Then, as if by destiny, three heroes took it back for the people and one of them… was a keyblade wielder.

She stared at the word, 'keyblade' for a while.

 _Rin._

"What is it Archer?" Rin Tohsaka answered.

 _You seem fixated on that page._

Rin was silent for a minute, "Have you ever heard of the keyblade?"

 _I don't think there isn't a heroic spirit summoned who hasn't heard of it._

"Does that mean…"

 _Unfortunately, that doesn't mean I recall my identity, the keyblade wielder's legend is just one of the few things I can recall._

"I heard," Rin whispered, "Servants heard about that legend in their lives. It even inspired some of them to their accomplishments. Do you recall if it was your drive?"

 _I know for a fact it wasn't a bedtime story that drove my life._

Rin didn't know why, but despite his calm tone, there was something in the way he said it, that felt… wrathful.

"Well, one of the obstacles of the war, are the keyblade wielders," Rin informed, "They are definitely in this war."

 _Yes, I know that. Due to the nature of the war, this world will be at risk. So, they are duty bound to protect it by ending the war._

"I heard that there are servants who want to fight them," Rin recalled, "Archer, we aren't going to seek a fight with them. If we wind up finding one, we'll retreat. I won't risk the war I've spent my life preparing for over your pride."

 _That's fine. I've no wish to face them either._

"Good," Rin said, "That being said, if they attack another servant, we'll need to intervene. Just because they can't kill you, doesn't mean they can't kill the others. And if they lose we all lose."

 _Especially if they go after that boy and Saber. But keeping an enemy servant from being killed? That's almost kind of you._

"Don't be foolish," Rin said, "If it looks like they're about to die then that will be the perfect moment. Surely you can land the killing blow to a servant from a safe distance. Still, them being here will be difficult, they weren't part of the last war."

 _They weren't?_

"No," Rin replied, "I don't know the specific details, but something a happened a couple years prior that reduced their numbers and they couldn't interfere." Rin had been told her whole life that keyblade wielders were something to hate. That they were hypocrites, who looked down on mages while keeping so much power for themselves, she was taught that by her father and then later by Kotomine. But honestly, Rin didn't feel hatred. She didn't have an opinion of these mysterious warriors. She never saw them, so she couldn't prove her father's claim. They weren't part of the last war, so she couldn't blame them for her father's death. And they saved the world she was currently in, so they had their uses.

Maybe she could see why they were so hateful during this war.

* * *

"So the keyblade's legend was more common in their time, and the servants are going to know what they're capable of? Not to mention the mages seem to hate us," Riku sighed, "That just makes this easier."

"Well, we'll still show them what we're made of," Sora said getting into his usual casual pose, "We defeated Xehanort and saved the world three times, I doubt they saved the all the worlds even once. So, where's the war being held?"

"Radiant Garden," Yen Sid said.

"What?" Sora said worried, "We need to get there and tell Leon and the others."

"It's also important you warn Merlin," Yen Sid advised.

"You're right," Sora nodded, "He can help."

"You don't understand," Yen Sid stated, "The Holy Grail War is a problematic subject to Merlin."

That caught Sora's attention, "What do you mean?"

"Seventy-years ago," Yen Sid began, "Xehanort and myself, were tasked to stop the third Holy Grail War. But we nearly failed, there were two servants left and we were running out of time, until Xehanort discovered something. One of the servant's enemy was still alive, trapped in a tower where time stood still. Desperate, we located this tower and with our combined powers, created a door, for our new ally to escape. That was Merlin."

"What?" Sora asked shocked.

"How long was he in there?" Riku asked.

"Nearly one-thousand years," Yen Sid explained, "We explained the situation, and he agreed to help us. While he and I fought caster Xehanort went to try and destroy the grail. Thankfully, with Merlin's help, I finally defeated the caster servant: Morgan. And thus, the third war came to an end. Merlin had wondered the worlds since."

That stuck to Sora, Merlin was famous? Merlin… was locked away for a thousand years. His family, friends, they were dead by now. Merlin always seemed so cheerful, but now that Sora thought about it… He never talked about his past.

"So, Merlin is famous?" Riku asked. With a wave of his hand a book appeared in front of them.

The Legend of King Arthur

"You're free to ask him, but here is a copy of his legend," Yen Sid said.

Sora took it, "Cool."

"We're going to need help," Mickey said, "We'll be up against a lot of dangerous enemies. We'll need everyone's help with this. This war needs to be stopped!"

Everyone nodded. As they began to walk out Aqua began to think outloud, "We'll need to get Ven, then of course Lea, it's his world after all. Kairi's come a long way so…"

Riku however stayed behind. A new thought had come to him, he looked to the Fantasia wizard, "Did Xehanort ever try to get the Holy Grail?"

"Thankfully no," Yen Sid shook his head.

"Okay," Riku began to walk out of the study, completely unaware of what his question struck in Yen Sid.

Why didn't Xehanort try to obtain the grail. Ten years prior he and Mickey were lacking, but he was fully capable. So why didn't he?


	4. Chapter 4

Being Popular is Tough

"Wait, so Merlin trained a king?" Kairi was looking through the book Sora had brought with them, "He never told me that."

Kairi, along with Sora, Riku, Donald, and Goofy were at Disney Castle, standing in the courtyard waiting for the king.

"So we have to stop another war?" Donald asked.

"Yep, a bunch of mages are going to use magic, to bring ancient heroes and villains back to life and make them fight to the death, in Radiant Garden," Sora summarized.

"And apparently Merlin is legendary," Riku said.

"Cool," Kairi said. Then Mickey walked in.

"This won't be easy. These heroic spirits are extremely powerful," Mickey explained, "It was their legends that replaced the legend of the keyblade."

"And there are seven of them," Kairi also had a book that was titled, 'Holy Grail War Rules for Dummies.'

"There's Saber, Lancer, Archer, Assassin, Rider, Berserker, and Caster," Kairi recited. She had demanded Sora take her with him. She was done being left behind while the boys went to save the world.

Goofy was silent.

"Goofy?" Sora asked, "You've been quiet this whole time."

"I was just thinking," Goofy thought, "Merlin is legendary, right?"

Kairi nodded as she held up the book.

"And he's been stuck in that Avalon place for a thousand years," Goofy said, "The thing is I'm starting to get worried."

"About?" Mickey asked.

"Well, what if they think Merlin died during that time. If we go there and say, 'lets go talk to Merlin,' they might here us. If they do, they might think, he died and got brought back as that Caster servant," Goofy explained. Once again, Goofy showed them just how smart he secretly is.

"Oh no," Kairi closed the book and began to run to the gummi ship hanger. Merlin trained her, helped her become strong enough to defeat Xehanort. He was her friend, she wasn't going to let him get caught up in this. Besides Goofy's realization raised a new point. What if someone resurrected one of Merlin's old enemies. She read in the rule book, a spirit can be summoned twice. What if someone summoned Morgan? What if she wanted revenge? What if Mordred got summoned? Then another question rose into her mind, what if one of Merlin's old friends got summoned? King Arthur and his knights seemed strong enough. Could she kill them? Should she? Her teacher lost his friends once, she didn't want him to go through that again. She shook her head, they needed to talk to him first.

"Kairi wait," Sora was about to run after her, when Riku grabbed his hood, stopping him, "Riku?"

"Slow down, Goofy has a point, and it just made me realize something," Riku said.

"What?" Sora asked trying to get Riku to let go of his hoodie.

"Radiant Garden," Riku reminded, "You liberated and defended it. Do you think the people were going to forget about that? Odds are they're going to talk about you. And the masters and servants are going to know about you."

"Oh," Sora slumped when Riku finally released his hood.

"You're right," Mickey said he was a frequent visitor to Radiant Garden as well, "We'll need to lay low."

"Or we could use that to our advantage," Sora said, "They'll attack us anyway, so why not strike while the iron's hot?"

"Like Assassin? The hero whose expertise is killing someone from the shadows?" Riku asked.

"Hey, we've handled surprise attacks before," Sora defended. Then Riku grabbed Sora's hood again and started to drag him to the hanger.

"Sometimes I wonder how you managed to save the universe three times."

* * *

"Radiant Garden we are-…" Sora was then silenced by Donald and Goofy. The looked around quickly, thankfully no one was around.

"Are you trying to blow our cover?" Donald asked.

"Come on let's go to Mer-…" Kairi trailed off, "Let's go to the restoration committee's headquarters."

"Um," Donald began, "Can we go to the market first?"

"How come?" Sora asked.

"Huey, Dewey, and Louie are always here trying to sell things," Donald explained, "And so is my Uncle Scrooge. If things are going to be as bad as they say, I want to send them home."

"Well, it is supposed to be dangerous," Goofy said.

Sora nodded in agreement, "We'll go send them home."

"Riku," Mickey began, "You and I will go see Ansem the wise. He needs to know what's going on."

"Alright, let's go," thus the boys left leaving Kairi alone.

That was fine, she wasn't some damsel in distress… anymore. She decided to go warn Merlin on her own. She turned on her heels and walked towards the direction of Merlin's house. However, when she turned a corner she ran into someone and fell on her butt. She was glad Sora didn't see that.

"I'm sorry are you okay?"

Kairi looked up. Offering his hand, was a boy with red hair and brown eyes. Behind him was a blond girl. Her hair was in an intricate bun, and she looked like she was dressed to go to church.

Kairi took his hand, "I'm okay." Once she stood up, she introduced herself, "I'm Kairi."

"Shirou," the boy said, "Again sorry, I'm not used to walking around here."

"It's no big deal, I wasn't really looking where I was going either," Kairi said, "I really have to go, see ya." With that Kairi began to walk. When she passed the girl, she felt… a jolt run through her. Must had been jet lag.

"Bye, Mr. McDuck," Sora called as he waved the billionaire and great-nephews off, "Drive careful."

"Don't come back until we give the all clear," Donald yelled.

"Well, now that that's taken care of, let's get some ice-cream," Sora said. So they went to the nearest ice cream stand. There were two registers. At one of them was a girl wearing a red sweater. Her long black hair, was mostly free, except for two small pig-tails.

Sora went to the free register, "Three sea-salt ice-creams please."

"On the house," the moogle said.

"I can't take it for free," Sora said.

"Well, I can't take your money, after everything you did for us Sora."

The girl seemed to perk at the name, then she looked at the boy confused, "You're Sora?"

Sora looked at her and smiled, "Yep, and this is Donald and Goofy."

The girl continued to stare at them, " _The_ Sora, Donald, and Goofy? The ones that saved the world?"

The three seemed to puff out their chests in pride. Sora even summoned his keyblade, "The one and only trio of heroes."

The girl stared at them in silence. Then she looked away. Her shoulders began to tremble, as peels of giggles started to come from her. Then it evolved into full blown laughter.

"What are you laughing at?" Donald demanded. She didn't answer she just walked away laughing. When Donald tried to chase after her Sora and Goofy stopped him.

Rin got a good distance before she leaned on a wall still laughing, "Those three are the most powerful heroes in all the realms? I thought this was a war not a theme park?"

 _Rin, I've once heard that you shouldn't judge someone on their appearances… no matter how ridiculous they look. Besides, that duck was exhibiting an extremely large amount of mana._

"I know," Rin finally calmed down, "I did sense it. Well, now we know who some of our enemies are. That's a good thing."

Night fell over Radiant Garden. Donald was still mad about the girl who laughed at them.

"Who does she think she is? We're heroes!"

"Well, I guess we're not junior heroes anymore," Goofy said out loud.

"I guess being popular is tough," Sora sighed, He wasn't happy they got laughed at either. Then Sora thought of something, "Did something about her seem… off to you?"

"Laughing at us like we were jokes didn't count?" Donald asked.

"No, it was just a weird feeling… Wait, I'm getting that now," Sora realized. He stopped causing Donald and Goofy to stop too.

"What's the matter?" Goofy asked.

"I'm not sure," Sora looked ahead. Standing a few yards in front of them was a girl. When did she get there?

She was a teenager. Tan skin, long purple hair, big glasses and a white coat that seemed to just hang off her shoulders. She was looking at them while looking at a piece of paper.

"I see," she said, "So, this is how you genuinely appear."

"Who are you?" Sora asked.

"I am Rani VIII," she did a small curtsey, "I represent the Einsbern's in this Holy Grail War."

"Sideburns?" Goofy asked.

"Einsbern's," Donald corrected, "One of the three families who started the Grail War."

"So you're a master?" Sora asked.

"That is correct," Rani confirmed, "And you are a keyblade wielder. One of those who try to impede our ritual."

"I'm doing this because your ritual put people's lives at risk, don't you care whether innocent people get hurt or not?" Sora asked.

Rani just tilted her head, "The only meaning I have is to follow my master's will. If he orders me to take part, then I shall take part. If people must die to fulfill my objective, then it must be."

"Okay, she's crazy," Donald said.

"I guess talking's out," Sora summoned his keyblade, "Where's your servant?"

Rani raised her hand. Materializing out of blue dust, was a something that looked like a human, but it clearly wasn't. He was huge. Covered in markings, and instead of speaking he growled like a wild animal.

"This is my servant Berserker."

"That's Berserker?" Sora asked horrified. That used to be a living human?

Berserker summoned his spear before releasing a ground shattering roar.


	5. Chapter 5

Bring it On

Kairi quickly knocked on Merlin's door. She almost banged on it yelling her mentor's name but forced herself to calm down. She needed to be calm and explain things to Merlin. Besides she didn't know what abilities the masters and servants had. Someone could had been watching, waiting.

The door opened revealing the old wizard, "Kairi? This is a pleasant surprise, come in."

Kairi walked into the house as calmly as she could. Once the door was closed behind them, "The Holy Grail War is happening and taking place in Radiant Garden," was the first thing that came out of her mouth.

Merlin looked pale, then he pulled out his wand and the house seemed to shimmer for a second. Then the light died down, "It's safe to talk now."

Kairi continued, "The Holy Grail War, is happening in Radiant Garden."

"I know you just said that."

"We need to get the other committee members involved and you need to lay low Merlin," Kairi explained.

"Why would I need to lay low?" Merlin asked.

Kairi pulled out the book about King Arthur, "Because your famous hero."

When Merlin looked at the book, his expression fell, "Oh… that's right…"

"No one knows you got out of that tower," Kairi explained, "They might think you're the caster servant."

"Kairi… I…" Merlin looked like he was troubled.

"Merlin? What is it?" Kairi asked concerned.

Merlin looked away from the book and took a deep breath, "That's not important now. Kairi, I need you to find the committee and bring them here."

"Right," Kairi nodded before running out the door. Merlin went to his chair and slumped into it. He pulled his bag off the table and pulled out a shrunken painted portrait. It looked like a photo. It was of a girl, who's stance was the embodiment of dignity and strength. Her blond hair was pulled back into a bun. Silver armor covered her blue dress. She held her sword in front of her in an patient stance. On her head was a crown.

Merlin starred at the picture with solemn and pain, "Hero?" He was silent for a minute before continuing, "More like fool."

* * *

The last bit of sunlight vanished beyond the horizon. Kairi was walking on a rooftop. After the committee was told about what was happening, Leon went to go talk to Ansem the wise. They needed to work together to defend the people of Radiant Garden. And that meant getting the help of the castle guards. That made the red-head frown. Kairi didn't remember much of her time living in Radiant Garden, but she did vaguely recall a time she was picking flowers in front of the castle and was attacked by the unversed. And two certain guards who were supposed to be doing their jobs weren't at their post. She had to be rescued by Aqua and Mickey. Not to mention, said guards became founding members of the organization later on.

Kairi jumped to the next roof. Kairi liked to think of herself as forgiving. Believe it or not she and Lea became good friends when they trained together. But he actually regretted it, not to mention he saved Sora. But the men who helped destroy her home world as well as kill her grandmother… that would take more time.

She looked over the town from her place on the roof, she decided to go on patrol. She read servant battles mostly take place at night. Sora and Riku made it clear they didn't like this war. Kairi wasn't a huge fan of it either. She didn't think any wish was worth killing over, even if the servants were technically already dead.

Kairi noticed she was getting closer to the castle. She felt a little tense, but she kept going. She needed to scan the residential area. The last time Kairi was at the castle, she was a prisoner, and it was where Sora sacrificed himself to save her. It wasn't something she wanted to be reminded of.

Once she was done there she decided to go to the market. Jumping from one roof to the next. She was balancing herself on a ridge when she heard a thud followed by something rolling on the ground. She looked down. A woman had collapsed, and her groceries were scattered over the ground. Before Kairi jumped she noticed something. The air on the ground was filled with a violet smoke. Kairi summoned her keyblade and raised it in the air. A light washed over her granting her protection from whatever was in the air.

She jumped down next to the woman, "Are you okay?" she turned her over and looked at her. She didn't look like she was in pain, but she wasn't responding. Kairi checked her pulse. To her relief her heart was still beating. After dismissing her keyblade, Kairi got her on her back and ran outside the miasma's perimeter. She set her down against a wall. Kairi frowned when she realized the woman was recovering on her own. She summoned her keyblade, "Heal."

A green light washed over her. The violet smoke rose off the woman, as if the spell was expelling it from her body. When it was done the woman managed to open her eyes, "Where…?"

"Are you okay?" Kairi asked concerned.

The woman looked like she was half asleep, when she tried to get up, she collapsed with a grunt, Kairi had to catch her, "Take it easy."

"Kairi?" the red head looked up on a roof.

"Yuffie, I need some help."

The ninja landed next to her and looked at the woman, "What happened?"

"That smoke," Kairi pointed, "It did something to her."

"This isn't good," Yuffie said pulling the woman on her back, "I'll get her to a doctor. Then I'll get this area cut off."

"While you're at it, find Sora, Riku, and Mickey and send them here," Kairi said.

"Yeah, maybe they can find a way to stop this."

Kairi frowned, "Or help me stop this," Kairi summoned her keyblade before running back into the mist.

"Kairi!" Yuffie called, she couldn't follow, whatever this mist was, was stronger than anything Yuffie had for protection. Yuffie had no choice she needed to find someone.

Kairi ran down the street through the smoke. She wanted to help all the people that were now lying unconscious. But carrying them all out one at a time would take to long. She needed to find the source of this miasma and destroy it. It wasn't a type of poison or the people would be dead, she remembered how her cure spell reacted when it helped that woman. This was less like poison and more like an enchantment.

Kairi went to where the miasma was strongest. The source had to be there. But there was also something else. Kairi had to block a strike when something formed in the smoke and attacked her. When Kairi looked she saw something that looked like a skeleton monster… and more were forming. Clearly, they weren't going to let her through. So, she pushed of the monster's blade and countered by slashing through its chest. Luckily after one hit it turned to dust.

"Okay." They were a lot, but they were weak. Kairi didn't need to use anything big or fancy. Just keep up. She charged forward and began attacking. A slash her, duck, a slash there, block, two more over there. She leaped over the next opponent when it attacked her. Like a dancer she landed then pointed her keyblade, "Freeze."

The area was instantly blanketed by ice and the skeleton creature were frozen. Before they could thaw, Kairi ran through slicing through all of them. Causing them to crack and shatter. She took in a breath of slight exhaustion. She mentally thanked Merlin for the training. And the experience she got by fighting heartless. She wasn't a master, not yet. But she wasn't the hopeless girl who got her heart stolen by heartless, the one that was too weak to help Sora.

She turned back to the source. Now to save these people. She was about to approach it when she felt something. A sense of danger. She got back into her stance and looked around. Nothing from the left, or the right… Above!

Kairi looked up and quickly jumped back. A new skeleton creature fell from the sky. It looked like a giant alligator. Kairi clutched her keyblade, she wasn't done yet. The monster charged at her.

"Mine shield." The creature stepped on a magical trap. The ground exploded sending it back.

It charged again. But then an ice rail appeared. Kairi used it to glide away and the monster crashed where she used to be. She jumped and shot a fire spell that exploded on impact. When she landed, she looked at the smoke. For a minute it looked like it was done. Imagine Kairi's shock when it erupted from the smoke and closed its jaw around her.

* * *

Riku and Mickey walked back to the Merlin's house.

"Man, that took long," Riku yawned.

"It can't be helped," Mickey said, "We need to set up plans to keep people out of the fighting."

"I know," Riku sighed. As they walked down the street. Riku noticed some guy turn a corner and began walking towards the direction they came from. Due to the past few years of fighting Riku looked over the stranger due to habit. He had blonde hair that was a bright shade, a white shirt, and a black pair of pants and jacket. He had his hands in his pocket as he walked down the street in a relaxed composure. Riku then looked down the street. Must had been someone who was hanging out late. It wasn't his business.

The strangers then passed each other.

"I will have one."

Faster than Riku could register, he had turned, summoned his keyblade and deflected a sword that was launched at him. Mickey had to do the same. He looked around. The guy he had just passed was gone.

"What was that?" Riku looked at the sword he deflected. But the golden weapon quickly vanished into gold dust.

"Trouble," Mickey said.

* * *

In a center of purple miasma, the skeletal monster stood.

Then it jerked when something inside its jaw ignited. Then again, and again. The strain had cracked it bones, until finally… "Firaga burst."

The monster had shattered when a large fiery explosion ripped it open from the inside. Then Kairi landed on the ground, "Forgot to chew your food?"

Kairi then pointed her keyblade at the source of the enchantment. A light appeared at its tip, then shot into the heart of the mist. The center began to glow, the smoke retreated into the center… and vanished. Kairi could no longer sense the evil spell. She sighed.

An explosion caused her to jolt up. She jumped to the top of a roof and saw smoke coming from another part of a city. She also saw what must had been a thundaga spell. She couldn't help but feel a little afraid. She handled those monsters, but if experience has taught her anything the master was going to be much harder.

She took in a deep breath. She then remembered something Sora told her. About what to do when you're faced with a challenging task.

"I'm not a damsel in distress!" Shout. It makes a person feel better when they make a promise. Kairi held her keyblade in the air, "I defeated Xehanort, the guy who endangered all worlds! Big Bad Holy Grail War? Bring it on! I'll show you legendary heroes your ancient history!"

"Now that's not very nice and I was coming over to say hello."

Kairi turned to her left. Nearby on a roof was a tall man wearing a blue jump suit. Blue hair that was pulled into a ponytail. And over his shoulder was a red spear. When her blue eyes met his red he grinned, "And for the record young lady, I do chew my food."

 **In this fic, Kairi ain't no damsel in distress. But Lancer, might be a problem for her.**

 **And we go back to the fight with Berserker next chapter**


End file.
